A big day is coming up for the state of Indiana on Friday as the in-state rivals Indiana and Purdue face off at Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers may have an extra inclination to win, considering their 66-0 loss to Indiana during this year’s football season. Read more for a full Indiana vs Purdue prediction and preview.
Game Information:
Teams: Indiana (14-7, 5-5), and Purdue (16-5, 8-2)
Tip-off: 8 p.m. EST
Watch: Fox Sports and Peacock
Listen: 105.1 FM in Bloomington, 93.1 FM in Indianapolis
Latest on Indiana Basketball:
On Sunday, Indiana just recorded its second one-point game in the last three. However, this one ended with a Hoosier loss against the Maryland Terrapins. The 79-78 result was a nail-biter, especially in the game’s final minutes. It is hard to reflect on the last two and a half minutes, considering that Indiana had a five-point lead with just over 2 minutes left.
While Indiana impressively came back from a double-digit deficit with 9:34 to go, they could not hold on in the final seconds.
Without completely dwelling on the devastating finale of their play against the Terrapins, it was impossible to avoid noticing the “boo’s” from the crowd as coach Mike Woodson made his final substitutions before the last play, down one.
Senior Anthony Leal put up a great performance against Maryland and a brilliant one. He took the court with such experienced poise and composure and kept the Hoosiers calm and collected for the most part. He put 100% effort into his 19 minutes on the court. After Leal’s 3-point play with just under 5 minutes to go, the energy of the game shifted as he tied the score at 70. As a starter on Sunday, Leal took the opportunity and ran with it.
There was no doubt the crowd’s disappointment when Coach Woodson subbed out Leal with only seconds to go. The final play ultimately became unorganized, resulting in a missed fadeaway three-point attempt from Myles Rice.
What also seemed to hurt Indiana was that lead rebounder Oumar Ballo was subbed out during this same substitution with 3 seconds left. Rice’s missed jumper landed nearly under the basket, which could have been an easy rebound and layup for the 7’0” center.
The Maryland guards consistently threatened the Hoosiers. At some points in the game, Indiana’s defense looked almost nonexistent, seemingly due to miscommunications.
The Hoosiers had exceptional moments, but mere moments cannot win games. The Hoosiers must step up to compete with the Boilermakers and face the rest of their tough road ahead.
Latest on Purdue basketball:
The Boilermakers head into Friday’s game after a dominating effort against Michigan. However, the 91-64 win was just what to expect from the No. 10 ranked team. They have been very successful defensively, continuously scoring off of steals. The Boilermakers have also thrived on keeping players out of the paint, continuing the tradition of Zach Edey, who departed for the NBA.
From the opening seconds, Purdue embarrassed the Wolverines. They deserve recognition for their aggressive defensive work, which caused Michigan to give up 22 turnovers – ouch!
Braden Smith led the team offensively with 24 points and 10 assists, a significant improvement from his quiet 11 points in the game against the Buckeyes earlier in the week.
This overall team presentation was a sign of relief for Purdue fans, considering their previous game, where they blew a 16-point lead in a 73-70 loss against Ohio State.
Purdue’s three-point shot attempts have increased throughout the 2024 season. They now average 38%, compared to their earlier 33.5%.
Viewers should also keep an eye out for Trey Kaufman-Renn, who averages 18.1 points per game.
Interesting fact: Indiana’s Luke Goode and Purdue’s Fletcher Loyer were teammates at Homestead High School. They were the “dynamic duo” back then. They both will certainly try harder to hit their A-game on Friday.
If Indiana wants to get on top of Purdue, they must focus on their drives toward the basket and play in the paint. This would counter Purdue’s tight defense and could throw them off balance.
[…] Indiana Hoosiers were oh-so-close to pulling off a huge upset against Purdue in West Lafayette. Indiana led 76-75 with 31 seconds to play following a jump shot […]